


The One Where Everyone falls a little in love with Karl Jenkins

by scorbusrights



Category: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Albus Severus Potter - Freeform, But Also Too Adorable, Karl Jenkins - Freeform, Karl Jenkins Is a Massive Dork, Molly Jr & Hugo deffo take Karl under their wing in the Hufflepuff common room, Molly Weasley II - Freeform, Multi, Scorpius Malfy, Yann Fredericks - Freeform, ccfandom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:35:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26307178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scorbusrights/pseuds/scorbusrights
Summary: A collection of fics in which everyone falls a little in love with Karl Jenkins. More chapters to come including different characters.
Relationships: Karl Jenkins & Albus Severus Potter, Yann Fredericks & Karl Jenkins
Comments: 8
Kudos: 5





	1. The One Where Yann falls a little in love with Karl Jenkins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gryffindor Quidditch team is about to play an important game of Quidditch. A game that they have to win to be able to win the Quidditch Cup and their Captain, James 'you have to play like your life depends on it' Potter, has made that very clear. Yann, as the Gryffindor keeper, feels the pressure. They are the one that has to keep Hufflepuff from scoring. The nerves are settling in when they are getting ready for the game when a friendly face shows up to try and make them feel a little better, a Hufflepuff in the bright red colours of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

‘Yann!’ a voice calls out over the loud voices of the rest of their teammates. 

Yann looks up, but they don’t see anyone outside of their teammates - who are discussing strategy and what they’re going to do after the game. Yann has been sitting on their own for a few minutes, too nervous to be talking to anyone. They are the Gryffindor’s keeper and they have to make sure that the Hufflepuff team doesn’t score any points. They _need_ to win the Quidditch cup and their captain, James Potter, had made that incredibly clear.

'You have to play like your life depends on it,' James Potter had told them that morning in the Great Hall at the Gryffindor table. 'Because it does. Your life does depend on it.' 

Yann had given him an uneasy look, pushing back the plate full of food that they hadn't touched.

'Yann,' a voice calls out again and Yann looks up - seeing a head disappear quickly at the entrance of the dressing room.

They get up and walk to the doors.

‘Karl?’ Yann hisses as they see Karl’s face peeking around the corner of the door again. The curls on his head a mess and his face flushed with excitement. ‘You know you’re not supposed to be here right? You’re a Hufflepuff!’

Karl quickly takes Yann’s hand in his, it’s warm and for a moment Yann can feel their nerves for the match settling. Karl pulls him outside of the dressing room, out of sight from all Yann’s teammates. He turns back around to Yann, who can’t help but chuckle at Karl’s elated face. His eyes wide in excitement and a big smile spread out onto his face. ‘I know!’ his voice is high-pitched.. 

‘Karl Jenkins,’ Yann softly punches his upper arm. ‘You little rebel.’

Karl seems to color as red as the face paint on his face, that Yann only now notices. A lions head is painted on the right cheek of the brunette and a flag with the colors red and gold on the other cheek. 

‘Why aren’t you in your own house colors?’ Yann scrunches their face up in confusion as they take in the rest of Karl’s outfit. ‘And why are you- Is that my Quidditch sweater? The one I’ve been looking for?’

‘I borrowed it from you, remember?’ Karl frowns as he pouts.

‘Karl, wasn’t that a month ago?’ Yann asks, trying to keep in their laughter in as Karl’s face scrunches up in guilt. ‘Don’t worry about that. It looks great on you.’ Yann reaches forward, fixing the collar of the sweater. 

Karl looks up at them when they pull back again. ‘It’s just- I know how important this game is to you. I want to show you my support. Because you have all of it. I will be rooting for you. The Hufflepuffs might not exactly like me for it, but I don’t care. I mean it’s not every day that you can win the Quidditch cup!’ 

Karl is bouncing up and down with excitement, but stops when his friend doesn’t seem to match him. A wave of nausea overwhelms Yann - keeping them from smiling back to their friend. 

‘You’re nervous aren’t you?’ Karl’s voice is soft as he gently takes one of Yann’s hands in his - a thing Karl does when he notices one of his friends is not feeling well. Almost as if he wants to show that he’s here with them, to listen to them but also to hold them when they need it. To keep them grounded, an anchor to cling themselves onto so they won’t lose themselves in nerves, fear or sadness. 

Yann never fully realized how much they appreciated that, how much they needed that - an anchor to keep themselves grounded. To keep themself and their mind from going crazy. Especially now with the biggest Quidditch game to date coming up, Yann felt like they had been slipping away. Their fear and nerves out of control, consuming them for the past few days. But here is Karl. Karl with the bright, wide eyes full of wonder and love. Karl with the broad smile that can light up an entire room, so infectious that you can’t help but smile along with him. 

'I'm not sure I've ever been this nervous in my entire life.'

'Hey,' Karl squeezes Yann's hand gently. 'I can't imagine how nervous you must feel right, but Yann, you're a great Quidditch player. You're a wonderful Keeper, statistics show-' Yann can't help but chuckle at their friend, _of course_ he'd know the statistics. Karl wasn't great at learning but when it comes to numbers, he was the best out of the whole group. 'Statistics show that you have been the Keeper that has stopped the most Quaffles so far this season. The game you did lose wasn't because you couldn't stop them from scoring but because your team wasn't-' Yann quickly covers Karl's mouth with their hand. Another thing about their friend was that he sometimes didn't know when to stop talking or stay quiet.

'You're aware that we're in front of the Gryffindor dressing room, are you?'

Karl nods his head and smiles sheepishly when Yann pulls their hand back.

'What I'm trying to say is that your numbers have been great. You have been doing a wonderful job and you have played a huge part into getting where the team is now. You have the chance to win that Quidditch Cup today and you can do this. I think you can do this, because I believe in you,' he puts his hand on Yann's chest. 'Because you are a damn good Quidditch Keeper and you're going to smash it!'

'Did you just- Karl Jenkins, did you just say _damn_?' Yann looks at him, eyes wide in surprise and an amused smile on their face.

'I did,' Karl mumbles, a bit ashamed of his outburst. 'That's how much I believe in you.'

Yann laughs softly as they ruffle their hand through Karl's hair. 'Thanks you little munch,' they say, looking at their interlocked hands. 'That really means a lot to me. I believe you **and** your statistics.'

Karl grins as he gives Yann a quick bow. 'Me and my statistics are at your service. Always happy to help.'

The commentator has started announcing the game, which means the teams will soon have to be at the ready to enter the field. Karl wants to pull back his hand back, to start to make his way toward the stands so Yann can go back inside - but Yann pulls him back. They wrap their arms around Karl's shoulders - slightly having to bend over as their friend is smaller - as they bury their face in the crook of the Hufflepuff's neck.

'Thank you,' their voice muffled from hiding their face.

Karl pats Yann on the back before wrapping his arms around their waist, pulling them in closer. 'You got this, now go get them!' He gives Yann a quick peck on the cheek, before turning around - running toward the stands.

Yann can feel their face flush as they walk back into the dressing room. James Potter is calling their name, asking them where they were - they'd been calling for them for _hours_. He hands Yann their broom and ushers them toward the rest of the team standing before the exit of the dressing room — waiting for their names to be announced.

As Yann mounts their broom, they follow their team onto the Quidditch pitch, up in the air. The wind rushing through their hair, messing up the work they had spend on perfecting it this morning. Reminding them they should ask Polly to teach them the spell that helps her keep her hair perfectly intact throughout the day. Their gaze wanders toward the Gryffindor stands, finding Polly in the midst of the sea of red and right next to her Yann finds the face they had been looking for. Karl. Craig Bowker Jr is right beside him, watching the Hufflepuff in red with a big smile onto his face before turning toward the Quidditch pitch. Karl is screaming his lungs out as he hides further into his red Gryffindor scarf, waving his arms frantically as he notices Yann looking their way. Yann waves back at him, resulting in the biggest and brightest smile and they can feel all the nerves disappear. Yann can do this, Karl said he can do this. 

Karl said he believes in him and Yann thinks that in that moment they knew - they had fallen a little little in love with the wide-eyed Hufflepuff with the bright smile.


	2. The One Where Albus falls a little in love with Karl Jenkins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karl Jenkins has always struggled with Herbology. He trips over vines, breaks the ceramic plant pots and somehow the plants that he is supposed to take care of always seem to lose life around him. He feels that, as a Hufflepuff, he is supposed to be good at Herbology. But no matter how hard he tries, it doesn't seem to work out for him.  
> Then there's Albus Weasley-Potter, the Slytherin student who is also in his class, who is a natural at Herbology. Real green fingers. He notices Karl’s struggles during class and, knowing Albus, he can not just let it go and knows he has to help the Hufflepuff.

Albus watches the Hufflepuff standing at the other end of the table. He puffs his cheeks as he watches the leaves of his bouncing bulb hang - almost as low as the head of the boy. His brown curls hiding his eyes from sight as he thumbs through the Herbology book in front of him. Releasing all air again. Scorpius nudges him in the side as he points at his own potted plant. 

‘Your plant,’ his best friend says. 

Albus quickly grabs onto his bouncing bulb that was now bouncing away from him. Putting him back in the pot in front of him and adding more of the magical soil to keep the bouncing bulb in its place. 

‘It’s a bouncing bulb,’ he mumbles as he flattens the soil to keep the bulb in its place. ‘Not just a plant, Scorpius.’

Scorpius rolls his eyes fondly as Professor Longbottom’s voice announces the end of class. Telling them to put the potted bouncing bulbs away neatly. Albus and Scorpius bring their plants to the other side of the greenhouse, carefully putting them away as a crash rings through the greenhouse. 

Karl Jenkins, the boy he had seen struggling with his bouncing bulb during the entirety of the class, is on his hands and knees next to his shattered pot. The bouncing bulb is bouncing up and down in a circle around him. The boy’s face is flushed as he looks up at his classmates and back down to all the shards and soil that’s scattered across the floor. Albus can see some of his classmates shake their head as they walk past the Hufflepuff - not surprised he had yet again let something fall. 

‘The poor boy,’ Molly mumbles as she lightly shakes her head. ‘Last night he caused an entire shelf of potted plants to crash down. Hugo and I quickly came to his rescue but little Jenkins sure is a little bit clumsy.’

‘I’ll meet you outside,’ Albus says to Scorpius and his cousin as he hurries over to where Karl is sitting on the floor. ‘Let me help you.’

He gets down on his knees as his eyes meet Karl’s honey brown eyes. He looks down again quickly as he carefully picks up some of the bigger shards, trying his best not to cut his hand on them. Albus reaches out to the Bouncing Bulb, carefully taking hold of it with both of his hands. 

‘Mister Jenkins, mister Potter. Let me,’ professor Longbottom comes up to them and waves his wand. The shards fly out of the boys’ hands as they mend again, collecting the soil from the floor. He takes the Bouncing Bulb from Albus. 

‘I’m so sorry, professor!’ Karl scrambles to his feet as he hangs his head in shame. ‘I’m so-’

‘If you say you’re sorry again, mister Jenkins, I will have to give you detention. It’s okay.’

Albus can see the boy’s face flush again as he taps his fingers on the side of his upper leg. Professor Longbottom waves them off, telling them to get to their next class. 

Karl turns around to Albus, a smile on his face as their eyes meet again. ‘Thank you for your help. I wasn’t looking where I was going and this vine-’ he gestures toward the vine on the floor. ‘I tripped and really appreciate your help and-’

‘Karl! Are you coming?’ Yann Fredericks’ voice interrupts the Hufflepuff. 

The boy flashes Albus another quick smile before he storms off to meet his friend at the greenhouse door. Albus follows him as he watches Yann Fredericks wrap their arm around Karl’s shoulder, pulling him in. 

‘You clumsy little badger,’ he hears Yann say as they ruffle Karl’s hair with their other hand. ‘You’re the first Hufflepuff I’ve met that doesn’t have _the_ green fingers.’ They wiggle their fingers in front of Karl’s face. 

Albus sighs as he turns around to meet Scorpius and Molly who are waiting for him. Scorpius is looking from Karl to Albus, a small smile on his face. 

‘Shall we head to class before we are too late?’ Albus says as he hoists his bag onto his shoulder, ignoring the look on his best friends face. 

* * *

Albus walks into the library. His bag hanging from his shoulder as he’s hugging his Herbology book to his chest. Dinner just ended so that meant the library was quiet, everyone usually resorted back to their common rooms to either study or hang out with their friends. Albus had told Scorpius he’d be down in their common room later, he wanted to get some studying in first. He had been working on the essay about Valerian Sprigs and their purpose and effects the entire afternoon and wanted to finish it before next week - when the essay would be due. 

Scorpius had smiled as he ruffled his hand through Albus’ hair, making it even messier than it already was. He had called him _his_ Herbology geek and said he’d meet him later. He would make sure he’d have a cup of coffee ready for Albus - knowing he’d probably be up for most of the night trying to catch up on his Transfiguration homework. Albus runs a hand through his hair as he thinks about Transfiguration classes. No other subject had been as hard for him as that one. But he also struggled to grasp why they needed to know how to turn an owl into opera glasses or a gerbil into a teacup. 

His eyes catch a student sitting at the back of the library, hunched over a piece of parchment as he’s scribbling down notes from a book in front of him. A Hufflepuff robe laying in the chair next to him with the yellow and black scarf resting on top of it.

‘Hey,’ Albus greets him, startling the boy who looks up at him with wide eyes. ‘I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you!’

‘It’s okay. I’m scared very easily, you should ask Polly. She loves scaring me at the most random of times, just to see my reaction.’

‘Are you studying for Herbology?’ Albus asks after a quick look on Karl’s parchment. 

The Hufflepuff lets out a big sigh as he looks back at his work. ‘I’m trying to study for Herbology, emphasis on _trying_.’

‘Do you mind?’ Albus points at the chair opposed to Karl. 

Karl shakes his head and Albus sits down, putting his book and bag on the table in front of him. 

‘If you want to, I can help you with Herbology. Maybe we can study together. I have learned that knowing the names of plants and their purposes helps a lot when we’re focusing on the practical side of Herbology in class.’

‘Are you sure?’ Karl looks hesitant, almost as if he’s afraid to say yes because he doesn’t want to bother Albus. 

‘Of course.’ Albus lets a smile spread across his face. Opening his own book on the right page. ‘Valerian sprigs,’ Albus says, nodding at the picture of the plant in front of him. ‘I could certainly use some to help me sleep.’ 

‘It makes you sleepy doesn’t it?’ Karl asks as he looks down at the picture himself. 

‘It calms you down,’ Albus explains calmly. ‘Muggles have these tablets that contain valerian that helps with things like anxiety and nerves. It grows out in the Forbidden Forest, I’ve walked through a field of it once. If you want to I can take you there ones and explain some more about the way it looks. There’s a lot of plants that we’re covering in Herbology that you can also find on Hogwarts grounds.’

‘I would really like that,’ Karl says, a smile finally spreading across his face. 

Albus stands up, carefully placing Karl’s robes and scarf on another of the chairs as he takes place next to him. They share a smile before turning to their books. 

Albus spends about an hour talking Karl through the effects of the Valerian Sprig when used in different potions as the Hufflepuff is writing down as much as he can. Glad that he finally has the freedom to ask questions about the work without feeling all eyes on him like when he’s in class. He always feels like he’s the only one behind on the work, always a little behind the rest. He doesn’t want to be a burden, he doesn’t want to _feel_ like a burden by asking the questions. Occasionally Albus points at Karl’s notes, correcting him and explaining why it’s best to write or add something else to the notes. For once Karl actually _understands_ Herbology. 

‘I’m pretty sure professor Longbottom will be asking about this on the exam,’ Albus says, pointing at the pages about the Valerian Sprig. ‘But it’s also very useful information when it comes to Potions.’

‘Thank you so much,’ Karl says as he is writing down the last of what Albus explained about the Valerian Sprigs’ effect when put into Draught of Living Death. ‘I’m an absolute disaster at Herbology, it’s quite embarassing.’

‘That’s okay, you know that right?’

Karl looks up, his eyes locking onto Albus’ eyes. The tip of his quill tickles his nose and he scrunches it, wiggling it to try and get rid of the itch. But not taking his eyes off Albus. 

‘You know it’s not a bad thing that you’re struggling with Herbology. You know that right?’ Albus looks up from his Herbology book. 

Karl sighs as he puts down his quill, playing with the different colored ink bottles in front of him - trying to get them into a straight line. He bites his bottom lip as he’s thinking about what to reply.

‘It’s just-’ He takes in a deep breath. ‘I never really felt like I belonged anywhere before I went to Hogwarts. Hufflepuff- Your house is supposed to feel like it’s your home during your Hogwarts years. The place where you feel safe, the place where you feel like you belong. Everyone is just so incredibly good at Herbology and it’s common knowledge that every Hufflepuff _should_ be good at it. I mean, almost every Herbology professor has been a Hufflepuff! But I’m not and even Yann said I’m the only Hufflepuff they met that isn’t good at Herbology. That I don’t have-’ he wiggles his fingers like Yann had done, imitating Yann’s voice, ‘-green fingers.’ A big sigh escapes his lips again before he pouts, starting to tear off little pieces of his parchment. 

‘How many Hufflepuffs does Yann know?’

Karl seems to think about that question, a frown on his forehead as he pouts. He shrugs. ‘I don’t know. I think it’s just me that they really talk to but then again there’s a lot of Hufflepuffs in the school and maybe they talk to others as well. That would mean they know more and-’

‘Karl,’Albus puts his hand on Karl’s arm, immediately pulling back his hand as soon as he realised what he did. ‘We all struggle with certain subjects, I’m terrible at Transfigurations for example and Scorpius struggles with Potions. But that’s okay. That every Hufflepuff should be good at Herbology is a very outdated stereotype. Try not to think about it too much because it will mess with your head,’ Albus says as he points at Karl’s head. ‘You’re doing the best you can and that should be enough.’ 

Karl looks up, his wide honey brown eyes meeting Albus’ and for a moment it leaves him breathless. It’s like all air has been pushed out of his lungs and all he can do is stare into those eyes. Eyes filled with hope and innocence. Karl is a Hufflepuff, a great one at that, but most importantly he’s a wonderful person who tries his best and is determined to get where he wants to go. His heart is filled with kindness and that kindness is overwhelming. 

Albus has only ever found that kind of kindness in his very best friend, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy. But this time it is different. With Scorpius he feels safe and comfortable, just being around him makes Albus feel good. But Karl makes his heart grow in ways he has never known. He gives him a tingling sensation in his stomach that Albus has never felt before. Those eyes make him melt, making it hard to look away, to not reach out to take his hand into his and squeeze it, just to let the boy with the honey brown eyes know that he is here for him. The smile that appears on his face, a bright smile filled with gratitude and joy, makes Albus choke up. Not being able to find any words to say, almost as if he has forgotten how to speak all at once.

In that moment Albus knew that he had fallen a little in love with the wide-eyed boy with the golden heart. 


End file.
